What happens to leaders and teams in uncertainty?

When uncertainty rises, pressure intensifies. Leaders are expected to decide quickly, reassure others, and stay composed, often while navigating their own doubt.

Teams tend to mirror their leaders’ emotional state. When leaders appear anxious, evasive, or reactive, uncertainty spreads fast. When leaders remain grounded and transparent, teams cope better, even in difficult conditions.

This is where emotional intelligence matters most. Leaders who can notice and regulate their own stress create space for others to stay focused and engaged. Without this awareness, blind spots multiply, which is what we often see in our work around leadership blind spots.

Why is trust the central leadership task in a crisis?

When messaging is inconsistent, defensive or ambiguous, trust goes south in a hurry. In times of crisis, silence can be seen as refusing to engage.
Trust is not about who has all the answers. It’s about how leaders act when there are no easy answers.
In times of uncertainty trust is cemented through three continual behaviours.

• Consistency: matching words and deeds, even when things don’t go as planned.
• Communication: about what’s known, not-yet-known, and in-progress.
• Judgement: use of cool and calm decision-making instead of rushing in.

With these behaviors teams are “here for each other”, i.e. teams stay connected. When they’re there, disengagement is often prevented. 

Which leadership behaviours build trust under pressure?

1. Communicate transparently – without overpromising

Direct answer: Trust grows when leaders communicate clearly and honestly, even when certainty is not possible.

Clear communication is the foundation of trust. In times of crisis, leaders often are tempted to shield people from bad news or to offer reassurance they cannot yet assure.

In practice, trust grows when leaders say: “This is what we know. This is what we don’t know yet. And this is what we’re doing next.”

Clarity matters more than certainty.

2. Create psychological safety

Direct answer: Teams trust leaders more when it feels safe to speak up early.

When the cost of speaking up is fear, problems emerge too late.

It is the freedom to speak up, offer perspective or substance an idea without repercussions. Leaders model this by proactively seeking input and responding with curiosity instead of defensiveness.

You can explore the behavioural side of this further in our article on better team communication.

3. Lead with empathy, not emotional distance

Direct answer: Empathy strengthens trust when leaders acknowledge impact without losing steadiness.

Uncertainty has an emotional cost. Leaders who recognize this, and avoid being dragged down themselves, can develop stronger connections.

Empathy doesn’t mean lowering standards. It involves acknowledging the human toll of choices and acting with thought.

4. Make decisions visible

Direct answer: Trust increases when people understand how and why decisions are made.

Leaders that articulate their thinking, trade-offs and priorities help teams stay aligned even when they made decisions people don’t agree with. It creates credibility, as well as diminishes speculation.

Share ownership where possible!

5. Share ownership where possible

Direct answer: Involvement builds commitment and resilience.

Involving people in problem-solving builds commitment.

When leaders share responsibility and invite contribution, teams feel part of the solution rather than passive recipients of change. This sense of ownership strengthens resilience.

A story from practice

In a large technology organisation facing a sudden market downturn, senior leaders initially withdrew into closed decision-making. Anxiety rose, and trust dipped.

Once leaders shifted to regular, open forums, sharing what they knew, acknowledging uncertainty, and inviting questions, the atmosphere changed. Teams began contributing ideas and supporting one another through the transition.

As one leader reflected:

“We didn’t regain trust by having answers. We regained it by being present and honest.”

Conclusion

Leading in uncertainty is not about projecting confidence at all costs. It’s about staying connected, credible, and human when pressure is high.

Trust is built, or lost, through everyday leadership behaviour. When leaders remain clear, empathetic, and open, teams are far more capable of navigating disruption together.

Next steps

If leaders in your organisation are navigating uncertainty and you want to strengthen trust across teams, explore our Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, or Team Coaching services.

If you’d like to reflect on your specific situation, you can also book a clarity call to explore what support would be most useful right now.